A Secret Revealed
by Laseri
Summary: I got really annoyed by the series final, so decided to write my own. Jason and Neri finally get their feelings out in the open, with a bit of help from their mischievous younger siblings. Fluff, fluff and more fluff: it's one big cotton wool ball.
1. Sneaky Brett

Hello people and Ocean Girl fans! I wrote this fic when the fourth series ended and I was very dissatisfied by the ending. I'm guessing I'm not the only one, judging by the amount of what-happened-after fics in this section. There were so many things they could have done with the characters, and a heap of character relationships that could have been developed. The relationship between Shalamorn and Diane, for example, could have been very interesting, as they are both used to being in a position of power and giving orders. Also I felt Brett needed a bit more attention, as the series tends to focus on Jason and Neri as the "main characters" and Brett comes in (usually through the air vents) to do the dirty work, accompanied by Cass. What bothered me most was that Jason and Neri had finally begun to say something about their feelings for each other and bang—that's all, folks. So I decided to write my own two episodes that came after the official final. I'm very "into" the whole J&N romance, so it's the basis for this story. Be warned—soppiness ahead.  
  
Mera is on the island because Cass isn't in on this particular secret as far as I know, and I thought it would be nice to have Mera acting like a mischievous little sister for once. You remember how she noticed Jason was agreeing with Neri no matter what she said? Well, this is kind of a follow- up. Also her being in league with Brett creates some interesting parallels. I know she's meant to be on the Ocean Planet, but let's just say Shalamorn let her stay with Neri for a while and spend some quality time with her big sis. The same goes for Shalamorn—she's there because I need her for the plot. Enjoy!  
  
The alarm went off in Jason's room. Sleepily, he shut it off and stared at it: 10:00 AM. It took him a few seconds to comprehend the red numbers. Hang on, ten o'clock? Jason leaped out of bed, waking Brett up with the swish of covers and muttered language. Some time later he dashed out to the kitchen, where Diane was relaxing with a cup of coffee. Grabbing a piece of fruit, Jason checked his reflection in the shiny bench-top.  
  
"Jase, since when do you look in the mirror first thing in the morning?" asked Brett, who was wide awake and looking at his brother very strangely.  
  
Jason jumped, startled. He hadn't noticed Brett sneaking behind him when he'd left the bedroom. "Shut up, Brett."  
  
"Probably since Neri got to stay on the island," said Brett innocently to no one in particular.  
  
"Shut UP! I'm warning you..."  
  
Brett merely smiled—he could tell Jason was embarrassed about being caught looking at himself. Wisely, though, Brett kept his mouth shut. He didn't want to make Jason suspicious of his next move before he made it.  
  
Meanwhile, Jason had tugged a comb through his hair and muttered something about going to the island. Again. He'd been doing that a lot in the past few days, often spending the whole day there from sunrise til sunset.  
  
Before Brett could utter another insult, Jason was out the door and making for the pontoon, where his boat was kept. Just as the doors closed, Brett nipped through them and followed, taking care not to be seen or heard.  
  
Outside, he watched Jason's boat disappear into the distance. Coming out from his hiding place, Brett grabbed another boat and was soon following his big brother—at a respectful distance.  
  
When he eventually reached the island, Jason pulled his boat onto the sand and jogged up the beach, making for the path the boys had made from countless visits to the island. When he reached the small, ramshackle hut, he looked eagerly around for some sign of life. After waiting for a few minutes, he began to search around the house.  
  
"Neri!"  
  
No answer.  
  
"Neri?"  
  
A rustle in the bushes snapped Jason's head around, but all he saw was a wombat ambling slowly out from the ferns.  
  
"You again." The wombat looked calmly up at Jason and continued to wander around the hut.  
  
"Hey, Neri!" Still all Jason heard were the birds. He started to panic. If Neri hadn't answered by now... "Oh no."  
  
Just as he started to run towards the Bad Lands at the other end of the island, something came flying at him from behind and knocked him to the ground.  
  
"Oof!" Jason looked up into a pair of smiling brown eyes.  
  
"Neri!!" She laughed, pleased he hadn't noticed her behind him.  
  
"You still have much to learn, Jason."  
  
Jason didn't answer for a while—he was still trying to get his breath back.  
  
"So do you. Like how easy it is to knock the wind out of someone."  
  
Neri stood up and helped Jason to his feet. "I am glad you are here."  
  
"That used to mean bad news," commented Jason.  
  
"Not this time."

Jason smiled and put his arm around Neri, playing with the sunbleached hair hanging down her back.  
  
Meanwhile, another boat arrived on the beach, carrying a rather smaller figure. Brett pulled his boat up, but not too far—he wanted to be able to make a quick getaway. Going up the beach, he went to the right of their usual path and crashed through the greenery as quietly as he could. Shortly, as he came near the main path, he stopped and whistled three notes. Mera stepped out from behind the hut.  
  
"Mera." Mera put a finger to her lips.  
  
"Where are they?" whispered Brett.  
  
"Shh. Around the other side." She beckoned him to follow her. Slowly they crept around the hut, grinning guiltily in anticipation. As the wall of the hut ended, they ducked behind a convenient tree.  
  
"See? There." Mera pointed to a flash of blue and white, hardly seen through the leaves. Peering cautiously out, both had a hard time keeping from laughing out loud. There were Jason and Neri, sitting side by side near the remains of the campfire. They were talking in soft voices, but it didn't look like they were discussing the fate of the world again. Brett snorted as well as he could without making a noise.  
  
"I'm not surprised. You were pretty right that time."  
  
"It was so obvious. I could see it coming the first time I saw them together."  
  
Not wanting to look insensitive, Brett agreed. "Yeah. But they just kept on pretending to be friends until all the trouble blew over."  
  
"I was about to stand on that mountain and yell it out. I was so impatient. I'm happy for them though." Brett only grunted. Suddenly, Jason stood up and helped Neri to her feet.  
  
"My turn this time."  
  
They turned towards the two conspirators and began walking towards them. Startled, they drew back into the bush, but even Neri walked straight past them. Breathing a combined sigh of relief, Brett and Mera followed them, never letting their siblings out of their sight.  
  
Eventually Jason and Neri stopped and sat down together on a log at the edge of a slightly familiar clearing. Mera stopped some distance off.  
  
"Do you remember this place?" Jason was asking.  
  
"Yes. Where the ship was, when Mera went to Ocean Planet and I stayed. With you."  
  
Jason nodded. "I don't know what I would have done if...you'd gone."  
  
"You would have had a good life, Jason. There are many things you could have done." Neri looked up at Jason and put her hand on his shoulder.  
  
This time Jason shook his head slowly. "Not without you."  
  
"Yes, you would. In time you would be happy."  
  
"I couldn't be. I'd never forget you, Neri. You know that." Jason leaned over and kissed Neri on the cheek.  
  
That was all Brett needed to see—apart from the fact that all the "lovey-dovey stuff" wasn't making him feel too good. Carefully, he backed away from the clearing and, once out of earshot, ran at full speed back to the beach and the boats. Mera had hardly noticed his departure—she was watching the two "friends" and smiling to herself. Brett, meanwhile, set off at full speed back to ORCA.  
  
Diane had been planning a relaxing morning with the boys, or at least Brett, but they'd both disappeared so quickly she'd hardly had time to blink. She wasn't quite sure where Brett had got to that day—the only time she'd heard the doors open was when Jason had left. Unexpectedly, the cabin door opened for the second time, and Paul appeared in the opening. Diane was suddenly glad she had bothered getting dressed.  
  
"Paul. Have a seat."  
  
"Thanks." Paul drew up a chair at the table. "Where is everyone?"  
  
"At the island, I think. They both dashed out this morning without so much as a 'see you later'."  
  
"Didn't that happen yesterday?"  
  
Diane nodded. "It's been going on since the fighting ended. Brett's not usually too hard to find, but I've hardly seen him today. As for Jason, well, it's pretty usual not to see him for 24 hours at a stretch these days."  
  
"He's spending an awful lot of time on that island, if that's where he goes," said Paul thoughtfully.  
  
"Talking to Neri, I suppose. I haven't seen much of her lately either."  
  
"I'm not surprised, now that Shalamorn's back from the dead."  
  
Diane sighed. "I suppose I'd feel the same way if I thought my mother had died and she came back again. But I don't know what to think. I don't know what Neri's relationship to me is now."  
  
"Maybe she doesn't either. Could be why she's staying away."  
  
"You might be right. I used to be 'mother,' but now she has a real one—now what? I don't know what to say to her. It'd be so strange telling her I'm glad that her mother is back. And I wouldn't really be telling the truth."  
  
"She probably doesn't know what to say to you either. She's never called you anything except 'Mother' as far as I know. Who knows how she's going to feel when she sees you again?"  
  
"I guess there's confusion on both sides. She doesn't seem to have a problem with Jason though. If he isn't on the island until sunset he's staying overnight. It's almost like he lives there and just pops in here from time to time to see how we're doing. And even then he's off again in the morning. It's a wonder Neri doesn't get sick of it."  
  
"Obviously she's not about to. You'd think they were married, the way things are going."  
  
"They do seem very close since all the trouble blew over. I'm not jumping to any conclusions, but being a mother and Neri's adopted parent I have my suspicions about those two..."  
  
Right on cue, the door opened and a very ruffled and hurried Brett rushed in. "Who? Jason and Neri?"  
  
"It's none of your business, Brett," said Diane sternly, uncomfortable that her youngest son had heard her last sentence.  
  
"I think it is. I have some news you might be interested in hearing."  
  
"If it's rumours about your brother, you're better off forgetting it," countered Paul.  
  
"It's not a rumour, it's true! I saw them—I mean—" Brett realised his blunder. He couldn't very well tell his mother he'd been spying. "—Well, I did!" he finished lamely.  
  
"So that's what you were up to. All that sneaking out the door, hm?"  
  
Brett put his hands on his hips impatiently. "Do you guys wanna hear this or not?"  
  
Diane sighed. "I suppose so. Fire away."  
  
"Well." Brett sat down across from his parents. "I heard you guys talking about Jase and Neri. Mum said she had her suspicions—and she's right. Remember when Neri got crowned Princess or whatever?" Diane and Paul nodded. "Well, you know when Shalamorn and us went to the island? And we came back and told you Neri got to stay?"  
  
"Get on with it, Brett."  
  
"I'm just trying to put this in perspective. When we were on the beach and Shalamorn said Neri didn't have to go, we all walked off and left Jase and Neri standing there. After a while I turned around, and—"  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"And Jase and Neri were kissing." Brett sat back with a smug smile on his face.  
  
"Brett, I'm surprised at you. You've seen them kiss before, we all have. It doesn't prove a thing."  
  
"Yeah, but that was when Neri was leaving, or we thought she was—when she didn't leave on the ship, and when she went on the migration with Charlie, and when she nearly died I saw something else, too."  
  
"Go on then," said Diane with a sigh. "And you might as well tell us any other juicy stories you can think of while you're at it. You seem very keen to get this out in the open."  
  
Brett grinned—that was exactly what he planned on doing.  
  
Some time later, both parents stared at Brett in surprise.  
  
"I've been wanting it to happen, but I never dreamed it actually would," laughed Diane at last.  
  
"Well, it did, and it looks pretty disgusting."  
  
"Brett—"  
  
And Jason walked through the door.  
  
"Oh. Have I interrupted something?" His family merely stared at him, except for Brett, who stared at the ground and tried to be invisible. It was Diane who recovered first.  
  
"No, of course not. I hope you had a good time."  
  
"Uh...yeah, it was all right."  
  
"Oh, Jason." Diane rushed out of her chair and enveloped Jason in a bear hug. "I'm so happy for you both."  
  
Jason hugged his mother back and tried to look confused. "Us both? Who are you talking about?"  
  
Diane stepped back in surprise. "Why, Jason. You and Neri, who else?"  
  
"What? Do you mean because the war's over or something?"  
  
"No! Jason, don't pretend you don't know."  
  
"But I don't. What are you talking about?"  
  
"Jason, please don't make this hard. I was so happy for you."  
  
"I honestly don't know what you mean."  
  
"Look, do I have to spell it out to you?"  
  
Jason hesitated. He didn't want to admit it in front of his whole family, especially Paul, but if he didn't his mother would do it for him, which would mean major embarrassment. He made up his mind with a sigh of surrender.  
  
"No, you don't. I do know what you're talking about. Thanks." He hugged Diane back.  
  
"So it is true?" said his mother at last.  
  
"What?"  
  
"That you and Neri are..."  
  
Here we go, thought Jason. I guess it had to come out somehow. "In love?" he said aloud. "Yeah, I guess you could say that." Somehow, he couldn't stop himself smiling. He never thought he'd end up saying those words aloud.  
  
"YESSSSSSSSSSSSS!" yelled Brett, punching his fist in the air and unable to contain himself any longer. "Finally he admits it!"  
  
"Don't you start. Mum's bad enough without you on my case as well."  
  
"I'm coming with you to the island tomorrow, Jason," said Diane.  
  
"What makes you think I'm going tomorrow?"  
  
"Probably the fact that you've been there every day for the past week."  
  
Jason looked at his mum. "I guess there's room in the boat for two."


	2. Tell it to Shalamorn

The next morning, Diane made sure Jason didn't forget to bring her along. Although he tried, regretting his "softness" the night before, it never quite worked. His mother made sure he couldn't leave her behind. As the boat—a proper one this time, not just an inflatable—left the pontoon, Jason turned to his mother.  
  
"Did you have to come today? It's embarrassing enough at home, but... Shalamorn is going to be there on a visit. Neri told me yesterday."  
  
"All the better," said Diane brightly. "It'll give me a chance to meet her properly. She'd have wanted to know about this anyway, so it'll save us all a lot of trouble."  
  
"It won't save me any. It would've been bad enough in front of Neri, but with her mother there as well..."  
  
Diane turned to look hard at her son. "How do you think I feel? I've always been a mother to Neri, but now she has a real one I don't know what I am. And I don't think she does either."  
  
"You're right. She hasn't said anything about it yet. I guess she's still trying to figure it out."  
  
Diane nodded absently. "Jason, I wanted to tell you something."  
  
Jason was immediately on his guard. When Diane said something like that, it could mean anything. "Yes?"  
  
"During all that trouble with the Ocean People and PRAXIS taking over ORCA. Whenever they called for me, you wouldn't let me go if you weren't with me. I wanted to thank you for that. I felt, well, safer somehow knowing you wouldn't let anything happen to me."  
  
Her son smiled. Diane realised he no longer looked like the little boy she'd tucked into bed years ago. Before her in the boat sat a self-assured, confident young man.  
  
"No problem, Mum." Jason gave his mum a quick hug before turning back to control the boat.  
  
As they arrived, at long last, at the island, Jason felt his heartbeat quicken nervously. He wasn't at all sure about revealing his private, inner emotions to someone as important as Shalamorn, however relevant to her they may have been. He consoled himself with two facts—Neri would be there to hear him tell someone other than herself about his feelings, and the quicker it happened, the sooner it would be over.  
  
They came to the end of the trail and stopped face to face with a surprised Neri and Shalamorn. They stood to greet the newcomers.  
  
"Welcome to the island of my daughter, Jason and Diane."  
  
Diane lowered her eyes in awkward respect. "Thank you, your majesty—"  
  
Shalamorn broke in. "We are all equals here. We each rule over peoples that look to us for guidance in times of trouble. I will treat you as my equal, if you and your family will do the same for us."  
  
"Of course—Shalamorn." Diane raised her eyes and smiled at Neri's mother.  
  
"Tell me," said Shalamorn, "what brings you here?"  
  
Diane cleared her throat. "My son Jason has informed me of a matter of importance to us both."  
  
Startled, Neri looked nervously at Jason. "You told her...?"  
  
Jason moved to stand protectively beside her. "I had to, Neri."  
  
"Why?" Neri looked at the ground, as if searching for answers.  
  
"Because I couldn't hide it," explained Jason with a glance at his mother, "that's why."  
  
Shalamorn, they realised, was watching them gravely and attentively. "My daughter, you have been anxious and uneasy of late. Perhaps this will hold the answer."  
  
"I think it might," agreed Diane, not knowing what else to say and deciding to be on the safe side.  
  
"Jason. What was it that you told your mother, this matter both you and Neri seem to be informed of?"  
  
"Well..." Jason cleared his throat. He planned to get it over with as quickly as possible. "I wasn't planning to tell her, but—mum has a way of getting the truth out of people. I don't know how she knew—"  
  
Diane interrupted him. "Brett saw you. He told me all about it."  
  
"WHAT?!!" Jason looked ready to fly back to ORCA and kill his little brother, or at least subject him to medieval torture for a few days.  
  
Shalamorn saw his expression. She held up her hand to silence him. "Peace! Tell me what it was your brother saw, Jason."  
  
"Sorry." Jason looked embarrassed. He'd forgotten the reason they were here. "You saw it too. That day on the beach, when you said Neri could stay. You walked off and left us standing there. Then you turned around..." He trailed off, unwilling to tell what had happened next.  
  
Shalamorn looked gravely at him. "I remember, but you must tell me, Jason. It is only by telling it in your own words that you will realise your true feelings."  
  
"Well..." said Jason for the second time, "you turned around and saw me...kissing Neri." He quickly looked at the ground while his ears turned red, something he was acutely aware of.  
  
"That is correct," replied Shalamorn, still looking grave. "Was this what you told your mother, Jason?"  
  
"No, Shalamorn. My brother told her that—when he came back from spying on me. What I told her was that..." He took a deep breath. Here goes nothing, he thought. "I love Neri."  
  
Shalamorn nodded and turned to Neri, who was looking proudly at Jason. "My daughter, what are your feelings for this young man? Regardless of his for you?"  
  
"I feel for Jason as he does for me. I love him." Neri smiled happily at Jason, as if saying "See, I can do it too."  
  
Her mother smiled as well, but became serious again as another thought entered her head. "Why have you not told me of this before?"  
  
Jason began to speak, but Neri looked meaningfully at him, and he shut his mouth again. She seemed to be telling him she could do this on her own.  
  
"We did not know what you would feel, Mother. So much has happened; we were not ready to tell you."  
  
Diane suddenly realised something. "Jason, how long has this been going on?"  
  
"Ahm..." Jason wasn't prepared for Diane's sudden question. This was something he had not expected. Then suddenly, clearly, he heard the voice of Shalamorn in his mind: "It is only by telling it in your own words that you will realise your true feelings..." He would've had to tell it sometime. He made up his mind.  
  
"I don't know about Neri, but if you can tell me how long we've known her for, I'll tell you how long I've...felt...for her."  
  
"Jason, why on earth didn't you let me know?" Diane was once again the protective mother.  
  
Jason sighed, glad the worst was over. "Because I didn't think it was the right time. I didn't know if Neri felt the same way, and it just would have made things more complicated if she'd found out. And there was other stuff to worry about. We had finding Mera, the synchronium, all the problems with Kal and UBRI, not to mention PRAXIS, and the whole business with the pyramid and Malakat, and I didn't want to add to it. Neri had enough to worry about without me butting in."  
  
Neri hugged him gratefully. "It is over now. No more secrets."  
  
"You know I wouldn't have told if you'd asked me not to," said Diane, a little hurt at her son's apparent lack of trust.  
  
"Yeah, well, I know that now."  
  
"You've matured a lot recently, Jase," said Diane on the spur of the moment. "I'm proud of you." Jason smiled and shared a hug with his mother.  
  
Shortly, Diane turned around and hugged Neri in her turn. "You're a wonderful girl, Neri. I'm so happy for you both."  
  
"Thank you, mother. I called her my mother when I thought you had passed," Neri added, turning to Shalamorn for approval.  
  
"You may still call her mother, my daughter. It will help you to have someone here to support you, when I am with our people on the Ocean Planet."  
  
"Thank you, Mother." It was Shalamorn's turn to share an embrace. Diane looked on gratefully. At least that problem's solved.  
  
Some time later, while the two mothers were earnestly talking, Jason turned with a relieved air to Neri.  
  
"Well, it doesn't look like anyone's disagreeing with us."  
  
Neri smiled. "I did not think they would."  
  
They walked down to the beach, chatting happily. They stood at the water's edge, looking out to sea. A shape appeared on the surface of the water, leaping for joy. Soon enough the sounds of the whale singing reached their ears.  
  
"Charlie is glad."  
  
"He's not the only one." They stood side by side, their arms around each other.  
  
Neri glanced to her right, past Jason's shoulder. "Look."  
  
Jason turned, and saw Brett arriving in a small boat. Mera emerged from the trees and ran down the beach to meet him.  
  
"Little twerp." But Jason was laughing. "Let's see if we can cure him of spying!" He jogged off to meet the boat.  
  
Neri smiled and ran after him. She easily passed Jason, who put on an extra spurt to try and overtake her—but didn't succeed.  
  
"Did it work?" said Brett impatiently to Mera.  
  
Mera nodded and grinned. "I think so." Then she noticed Jason and Neri running towards them at full speed. "Look out!"  
  
Jason finally puffed up after Neri had greeted Brett.  
  
"Nice one," he said to Brett, who all too obviously knew what he was talking about. "You just can't resist butting into my business."  
  
"Well, you two look happy enough," said Brett cheekily and unwisely.  
  
"You won't in a minute!" Before he could think of a retort, Brett found himself lying flat on his back in the shallows.  
  
"HEY!" He smacked the water and sent a shower of ocean towards Jason.  
  
"Come here, you..." Jason ran at his little brother, who took off in the same direction. Neri and Mera looked on and laughed as the boys chased each other around the boat. That was until Brett deliberately cannoned into Mera and sent her sprawling in the wet sand.  
  
"Aagh!" Leaving her royal dignity behind, Mera got up and began to chase Brett from where a winded Jason had left off. He stood by Neri's side, watching the two children get themselves soaked. With all that had happened, all that had been revealed that day, he no longer felt or remembered that he himself was still just a kid.  
  



End file.
